I-26 widening plan back on the table

Published: Thursday, October 31, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, October 31, 2013 at 12:04 a.m.

ASHEVILLE - Plans to expand Interstate 26 from four lanes to six lanes through Henderson County have been on transportation planners' books for years, and it may be 2020 before a shovel ever hits the ground.

But planners are optimistic. With fingers crossed and bated breath, they say this time it should happen… they hope.

French Broad River Municipal Planning Organization Director Paul Black looked hopeful as he talked about the path to an improved transportation system during a public input session at Pack Memorial Library Wednesday night.

The session was held to gauge public perception of amendments to a five-county, multi-mode comprehensive transportation plan that hails improvements to I-26 as a top priority, among others.

The project to ease congestion on the busy thoroughfare was stonewalled by a lawsuit from an environmental group in 2003. A federal judge sent the N.C. Department of Transportation back to the drawing board, advising it to study environmental impacts and include plans for Buncombe County as well as Henderson County.

The project became a priority on the FBRMPO’s transportation plan covering Haywood to Henderson counties in 2007.

The new plan for I-26, broken down into projects, includes widening from Henderson County’s Upward Road exit 54 to the Buncombe County line and from there to I-40.

“This is actually one of the pieces that came out of that lawsuit. It was talking about looking at the entire project, so that’s one of the reasons why they’ve combined this into two,” Black said, pointing at a map of the interstate that interconnects projects for both counties. “They used to just split it at the county line because there’s also an administrative boundary within NCDOT divisions there, but for the purpose of the environmental document, they are looking at both projects together, which should satisfy the problems from the lawsuit.”

An increase in freight and motor vehicle traffic has made the interstate one of the busiest thoroughfares in Western North Carolina. The freeway hosts an average of nearly 72,000 transports a day.

“Given the importance of this facility in serving east-west traffic demands, the lack of suitable alternative routes, the large percentage of trucks and the seasonal peaking of recreational travel,” the transportation plan says, “maintaining a high level of service in this corridor is critical…

“Recurring congestion is already a problem along this corridor,” as daily traffic volumes reach the threshold of the roadway’s capacity, according to the plan.

Recommendation

The board recommends DOT widen the interstate to at least six lanes to accommodate the demand, but there may be a rough road ahead for that plan.

Designers and planners will have to find a way to widen the road in tricky stretches without encroaching on the coal-ash ponds in Asheville and the historic land of the Biltmore Estate. They will also have to contend with the narrow underpass of a Blue Ridge Parkway bridge.

If a plan is to succeed in garnering funding over other state projects, it will also need to save taxpayer money, a factor FBRMPO studies in its plans.

“We don’t worry about potholes. We’re the ones that are looking 20 years ahead trying to figure out where the problems are going to be and where can we find the money to get them built,” he said.

Black knows transportation improvements don’t happen overnight. The U.S. Highway 25 widening project, he said, started in the '70s and finally came to a finish a few years ago. The I-26 corridor has been on transportation improvement plans since 1973.

Amendments to FBRMPO’s transportation plan include work on several other lanes such as Hendersonville’s Rutledge Drive and Flat Rock’s Little River Road that were unintentionally left out of the master draft.

The organization plans to hold a vote on the amendments at a 12:30 p.m. meeting Thursday at the Land-of-Sky Regional Council office, 339 New Leicester Hwy., Asheville.

The amendments do not include any addendums to the plan to widen I-26 which, Black said, is wearing thin after years of rehabilitation.

Plans for Rutledge Drive include constructing bicycle lanes and geometric improvements. Little River Road is in need of resurfacing, widening and bike lanes, according to amendments proposed for the comprehensive transportation plan.

<p>ASHEVILLE - Plans to expand Interstate 26 from four lanes to six lanes through Henderson County have been on transportation planners' books for years, and it may be 2020 before a shovel ever hits the ground.</p><p>But planners are optimistic. With fingers crossed and bated breath, they say this time it should happen… they hope.</p><p>French Broad River Municipal Planning Organization Director Paul Black looked hopeful as he talked about the path to an improved transportation system during a public input session at Pack Memorial Library Wednesday night.</p><p>The session was held to gauge public perception of amendments to a five-county, multi-mode comprehensive transportation plan that hails improvements to I-26 as a top priority, among others.</p><p>The project to ease congestion on the busy thoroughfare was stonewalled by a lawsuit from an environmental group in 2003. A federal judge sent the N.C. Department of Transportation back to the drawing board, advising it to study environmental impacts and include plans for Buncombe County as well as Henderson County.</p><p>The project became a priority on the FBRMPO's transportation plan covering Haywood to Henderson counties in 2007.</p><p>The new plan for I-26, broken down into projects, includes widening from Henderson County's Upward Road exit 54 to the Buncombe County line and from there to I-40.</p><p>“This is actually one of the pieces that came out of that lawsuit. It was talking about looking at the entire project, so that's one of the reasons why they've combined this into two,” Black said, pointing at a map of the interstate that interconnects projects for both counties. “They used to just split it at the county line because there's also an administrative boundary within NCDOT divisions there, but for the purpose of the environmental document, they are looking at both projects together, which should satisfy the problems from the lawsuit.”</p><p>An increase in freight and motor vehicle traffic has made the interstate one of the busiest thoroughfares in Western North Carolina. The freeway hosts an average of nearly 72,000 transports a day.</p><p>“Given the importance of this facility in serving east-west traffic demands, the lack of suitable alternative routes, the large percentage of trucks and the seasonal peaking of recreational travel,” the transportation plan says, “maintaining a high level of service in this corridor is critical…</p><p>“Recurring congestion is already a problem along this corridor,” as daily traffic volumes reach the threshold of the roadway's capacity, according to the plan.</p><p></p><p>Recommendation</p><p></p><p>The board recommends DOT widen the interstate to at least six lanes to accommodate the demand, but there may be a rough road ahead for that plan.</p><p>Designers and planners will have to find a way to widen the road in tricky stretches without encroaching on the coal-ash ponds in Asheville and the historic land of the Biltmore Estate. They will also have to contend with the narrow underpass of a Blue Ridge Parkway bridge.</p><p>If a plan is to succeed in garnering funding over other state projects, it will also need to save taxpayer money, a factor FBRMPO studies in its plans.</p><p>“We don't worry about potholes. We're the ones that are looking 20 years ahead trying to figure out where the problems are going to be and where can we find the money to get them built,” he said.</p><p>Black knows transportation improvements don't happen overnight. The U.S. Highway 25 widening project, he said, started in the '70s and finally came to a finish a few years ago. The I-26 corridor has been on transportation improvement plans since 1973.</p><p>Amendments to FBRMPO's transportation plan include work on several other lanes such as Hendersonville's Rutledge Drive and Flat Rock's Little River Road that were unintentionally left out of the master draft.</p><p>The organization plans to hold a vote on the amendments at a 12:30 p.m. meeting Thursday at the Land-of-Sky Regional Council office, 339 New Leicester Hwy., Asheville.</p><p>The amendments do not include any addendums to the plan to widen I-26 which, Black said, is wearing thin after years of rehabilitation.</p><p>Plans for Rutledge Drive include constructing bicycle lanes and geometric improvements. Little River Road is in need of resurfacing, widening and bike lanes, according to amendments proposed for the comprehensive transportation plan.</p><p>Reach Weaver at Emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.</p>